Gone
by Sofipitch
Summary: A series of drabbles and one-shots in which one character is either leaving or gone. Cannon pairings. Mainly EdWin. WIP
1. Family

**Chapter 1: Family**

As the Elrics made their way down the dirt path that lead to the train station, the Major took one last look at the Rockbell home. He found it sad that what he saw didn't surprise him.

The smile that had once been on Miss Rockbell's face had vanished, and in its place stood a sad frown and tears brimming at the corners of her eyes. She was heartbroken to watch them leave. But just a second ago she had been waving them goodbye with an open smile on her face. She watched them leave from the balcony that leads to her room. Her dog, Den, circled around her legs and she rubbed the dog affectionately, as if it were the one that needed comforting. Winry Rockbell was a truly stunning actress to have just been happily waving them goodbye a second ago.

The children's "grandmother" made her way up the wooden steps of the front of the house, extra precaution put into each step she took. She kept a sturdy hand on the railing; the steps creaking under her weight. She was an old woman, and one day she just may not be able to make it up those steps. Complications with arthritis seemed to cause many injuries old people suffer. And with old woman like her, a fall would lead to disaster.

But if the Elrics were aware of the sight behind them, the girl nearly crying out of sadness to see them go and the old woman who had taken care of them when their mother died, who was now struggling to make it up the steps of her house, they showed no sign of it. They just continued on their trek to the train station, completely obvious to the people they were leaving behind. Major Armstrong said nothing as he followed them down the road.

**-X****-**

"Are you okay Major? You're really quiet." Alphonse asked the older man. Edward muttered something under his breath about "not ruining one of the few moments the Major had finally shut up."

Armstrong looked at the boy for a second before deciding to speak. "Why I'm sorry if I was concerning you Alphonse, I'm absolutely fine, thank you. I was just thinking that I need to send a card to my sister, who works in the Briggs Mountain Range. I send her a card every two weeks and I think I missed the deadline while here in Risenbool. I will have to send her a card immediately once I get back to East City. It would be rude to wait any longer, wouldn't you agree?"

Only silence followed what the Major had said. Alphonse turned to look out the window and Edward stared at his lap. Armstrong watched the guilt wash over them through his eyelashes. But he acted oblivious to it and turned to look out the window. Eyes taking in the passing scenery. The sat there for the rest of the train ride in silence.

He had meant to make them uncompterble. He hadn't missed Miss Rockbell's comment that they hadn't heard from the brothers in full year. His two week comment must have hit the cord because he _knew_ that the Elrics didn't try to remain in any contact with the Rockbells. And a full year had passed without a single notice from the Elrics. For all the Rockbells had known, the Elric brothers could have been dead.

He knew the brothers were busy finding ways to get their bodies back and all, but he hoped that they would take into consideration what he had said. The Rockbells wouldn't wait on them forever; time would catch up to them. And Edward and Alphonse didn't need to add to their growing list of things they had lost over the past years. Family was just too important to push away.

**A/N:** More to come later.


	2. Waiting

**Chapter 2: Waiting**

/It feels like the world's been infected

And somehow you left me neglected

We found our life's been changed

Babe, you lost me/

-_You Lost Me_ chorus – sung by Christina Aguilera

She looked across the empty room. Granny had passed away. Rose had bought a house, not very far, but a good hour's walk away. Armstrong had business in Central so he wasn't visiting as he usually did. And of course _they_ weren't there.

Not that they usually were. She had since then gotten used to their absence. It was routine for them to be somewhere else, traveling to the far corners of the world, while she waited patiently here in Risenbool for them to return. She would wait weeks, months, and on few occasions, years for them to return. And after a few well deserved knocks on the head with her wrench, she would welcome them back home with open arms. Once they returned, that is.

Accept this time they weren't coming back. This time they were off on the other side of the gate, living their lives without her. They probably barely even thought of her. She was probably just a name that came up whenever automail was mentioned. Just the girl they had grown up with all their life. Just a mechanic, no one special.

They were off living their lives on the other side of the gate. Learning, traveling, and knowing them-getting themselves into loads of trouble. All in which she was still in Risenbool. Stuck in the same house she has lived in all her life. With the same old damn routine of hoping that by some miracle they'd return home to her safely.

She was still waiting.

Waiting for them constantly.

Waiting for them to come back.

Waiting for the two familiar figures to appear walking up the road that led to home.

Waiting to see how Edward had damaged his automail this time.

Waiting to find out if they had found any new leads on the stone.

But now she didn't have to wait anymore. Because they were gone. And they wouldn't be coming back. And they hadn't even said goodbye. They just sent the man that had killed her parents to tell her they were gone.

"Tell her she was the best."

Was that all they had to say to her? She had slaved over making automail for Edward. She had nearly driven herself crazy worrying over them. She had made her life revolve around making sure they had a home to return to, making sure they could feel safe with her. And in the end all they had to say to her was that she had been the best.

Best what? Best friend? Best mechanic? Best what? Best person that made their life revolve around them? Around making sure to pick them up and put them back together again when they fell apart?

Edward had always said that he hated his father for leaving his mother behind. She could have laughed at the irony.

He was doing the same thing that Hoenhiem had done to Trisha. Accept instead of it being Trisha Elric, it was Winry Rockbell he was leaving behind. Leaving behind and not looking back.

Hoenhiem had loved Trisha. In their case, she doubted Edward saw her as anything more than a friend. Maybe even less than that, maybe just the mechanic. She had had her chance to tell Edward she cared for him more than just in friendship. But she blew it and ended up braiding his hair instead. She couldn't tell him. She didn't have the guts to. And little did she know that that had been her one and only chance.

But she blew it.

She sometimes wondered that if she had told him, maybe he would stay. And him staying would keep Alphonse from leaving too. But she knew that that kind of stuff only happened in a perfect world. And the world she lived in was far from perfect. She knew that even if he had known he still would have left. And he would take Alphonse with him. Him knowing wouldn't have made a difference. Nothing she said in the past ever had.

But either way she regretted missing her chance.

She regretted not telling him.

She regretted not being with them.

She regretted not going through the portal too.

But sometimes, when she was feeling really bitter, she regretted ever being involved with them. Ever caring. Ever falling in love with Edward. Ever coming with them on some of their journeys. And sometimes even ever knowing them.

But after she stopped feeling bitter she would scold herself from those thoughts. She loved those brothers more than anything in the world. And no matter how much she tried to delude herself, her love for them would never go away.

Winry Rockbell, automail mechanic, surgeon, had many regrets. But her biggest regret was waiting for so long for the Elric's to come home.

And ever thinking that they would.

**A/N: **I tried not to focus too much on Edward and Winry because I don't like fics that push Alphonse the side and make him the third wheel. Winry loves Alphonse too, just more in a brotherly sort of fashion. And I hate it when people try to make fics about the ending to the movie and totally exclude Al and make it all about Edward and Winry. I love Al and he deserves attention too!


	3. ficlet: Tease

**A/N:** Written for fanfic_bakeoff, prompt: free write

"You're leaving Fullmetal?" Roy asked the boy, who was already half way out the door.

Ed stopped and Roy saw his head cock to the side, as if letting him know he was rolling his eyes. "Winry came and Al requested we go out and do something together." His rolled his head and let out an exaggerated sigh, as if the idea of going out and doing something with the fellow mechanic was pure torture. "I have to leave before I'm late and Winry pulverizes me with her wrench."

Mustang smirked and pumped his fist in the air before shouting, "Yes, he's leaving!" Then he dared to fake a shocked expression and covered his mouth as if in horror. "Oh! Did I say that out loud?"

Edward turned around and gave him a disgusted expression. He narrowed his eyes and his mouth twisted into an odd shape. "_Good_, I'm _glad_ I'm leaving. That means I don't have to be around _you_." He inclined his head towards Roy as if pointing to him before walking out the door.

Mustang smirked. Poor Edward, he left to visit Winry in foul mood. He was sure that would result in Edward coming in tomorrow with a few lumps to the head. But then, the more Mustang thought about it, he started feeling more sorry for himself instead, for he would be the lucky chosen one who would have to listen to Fullmetal bitch about it all day tomorrow.

He needed to start thinking of all the possible pros and cons his actions could have before doing anything. He looked over at the stack of paperwork on his desk.

Pfft, yeah right. There was _way_ worse than Fullmetal out there.


End file.
